Record Tornado Season

Does it seem like tornadoes are more prevalent and violent this year? Here's a picture of the infamous Parkersburg tornado after it struck on May 25, 2008.

Courtesy NOAA

Well a recent release from NOAA says that the current tornado season could be a record.

According to a meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, there have already been 111 tornado-related deaths and we're only halfway through the season. That makes this season the deadliest tornado season since 1998 when there were 132 deaths. Even more staggering, this year's death toll is only the third time since 1974 that there have been more than 100 tornado-related deaths during one tornado season, according to a research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Lab in Norman, Oklahoma.

Recent years averaged about 1,200 tornadoes and 60 tornado-related deaths annually across the US. As of June 12th, there have already been 1,577 tornado reports according to SPC. At the same time last year, there were only 795 tornado reports. There were only 1,098 tornado reports all of last year!

Source NOAA